Three Fat Men (with illustrations)

The book presents the famous fairy tale by Yuri Karlovich Olesha (1899–1960) "Three Fat Men". The events of the fairy tale unfold in a distant country where the Three Fat Men, heartless and greedy rulers, profit from the poor and commit lawlessness. To stop them, a girl named Suok has to go through a dangerous journey and discover a terrible secret. Bright, expressive illustrations for the fairy tale were created by artists Mstislav Valerianovich Dobuzhinsky (1875–1957) and Alexey Anatolyevich Shevchenko (1962).

Yuri Karlovich Olesha (1899–1960) was a Soviet writer, poet, and playwright. The future literator was born in Yelysavetgrad, a city in the Kherson province, and came from a impoverished family of Polish nobility. In 1902, his family moved to Odessa, where Yuri later graduated from the Richelieu Lyceum, one of the best educational institutions in the city. Even in high school, the young man published his first poems, although literature occupied him less than football, which was popular among his peers. Olesha began to show a deeper interest in literature after finishing school when he entered the Law Faculty of the Novorossiysk University. He became a member of a literary circle and made acquaintances with creative youth. In 1922, the writer moved to Moscow. There, he became a staff member of the railway newspaper "Gudok," for which he wrote feuilletons on current topics. The feuilletons were liked by the public, and newspapers with them were quickly sold out. At the same time, Olesha worked on his other works as well. In 1927, his novel "Envy" was published. The novel was well received by contemporaries, including M. Gorky and V. Nabokov; Olesha's talent was noted by colleagues and literary critics. Just a year later, riding the wave of this success, the work that brought the writer the most fame was published - the fairy tale "Three Fat Men".

The fairy tale was written back in 1924, four years before its first publication, but at that time, Olesha could not get it published: the manuscript was rejected by publishers. Olesha dedicated "The Three Fat Men" to Valentina Gryunzaid. The girl, who lived next door to him, was fond of the fairy tales of H. C. Andersen, and Olesha promised to compose a fairy tale for her that was just as good. The plot of the work tells of a country ruled by cruel and greedy rich men - the Three Fat Men. To stop their villainy, circus performers and guards, scientists and craftsmen unite. The brave heroes intend to organize a revolution, and a key role in it will be played by the girl Suok, who looks remarkably like the mechanical doll of the heir Tutti.

This edition of "Three Fat Men" is supplemented with wonderful color illustrations by two artists. Mstislav Valerianovich Dobuzhinsky (1875–1957) became one of the first illustrators of Olesha's fairy tale. Dobuzhinsky was a person of great talent and actively collaborated with publishing houses, museums, theaters, and art academies in the USSR, Europe, and the USA. The book also features illustrations by Alexey Anatolyevich Shevchenko (1962), a member of the Union of Russian Artists and a member of the International Board on Children's Books. His works adorn many pieces by both contemporary authors and classics of world literature.